


Every Breath You Take

by Anonymous



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
Genre: Age Difference, Fluff and Angst, Light Angst, M/M, Medical Inaccuracies, Older Man/Younger Man, Originally Posted on Tumblr, Tony Stark Still Has Arc Reactor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-07
Updated: 2018-02-07
Packaged: 2019-03-14 22:45:01
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,352
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13600008
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: From prompt number 34, originally posted on Tumblr: “I might never get another chance to say this.”





	Every Breath You Take

When Peter was young he would occasionally go with his Aunt May to work when she went to work at the hospital. She was a nurse working odd hours back then and when his Uncle Ben was alive, he worked as a community college English professor, so he was working odd hours as well, leaving Peter without a caregiver most days because his Aunt and Uncle worked. Aunt May also didn’t like getting Peter a babysitter often, she felt that Peter had been passed around enough in his youth, and so Peter would just go with her to work.

Because he spent a lot of his early years following his Aunt around as she did her rounds in the hospital, Peter became accustomed to the strong scent of whatever cleaning chemicals hospital used to keep up the white and germ-free aesthetic that most hospitals have. He was also accustomed to watching sick people either get healthier or worse.

Seeing sick men, women, and children really made an impact on Peter. But instead of aspiring to help them by spending a decade in medical school becoming a doctor it did the exact opposite. He loathed needing medical attention beyond the usual cold and flu remedies. And he swore off ever deciding to be a doctor, nurse, or whatever else you could do with a medical degree. It seemed that fate seemed to be working for Peter, because instead of helping people medically, he helped them by being Spider-Man.

But now, here Peter was, standing beside Tony Stark as he was laid back on a medical exam chair, shirtless, sweating, breathing heavily, and the Arc Reactor in his chest keeping him alive, on the fritz.

“Just think of it like a pace maker.” Tony heaved as he spoke. Peter bit his lip in uncertainty and gave his mentor/boyfriend an unapproving look. “Ok, it’s a million times more complicated than a pace maker, but sweetheart, I need you to help me switch these out because my engineering hands are far too large and clumsy to fit in a hole so small.” Tony told him, and Peter noticed the small smirk on Tony’s face upon realizing what he said could be taken way out of context. Peter shook his head in disbelieve, sighing as well.  

“Tony, can’t you just hire someone to do this?” Peter asked him. “Especially someone with a medical degree specializing in cardiology?” He asked, trying to make a point. Sure, he understood Tony’s anxieties about the Arc Reactor, especially after he disclosed that many people have tried to kill him by taking it out, but Tony could still comb through files after files of people much more capable of removing and replacing the reactor than Peter was!

“Peter, sweetheart, the light of my life, my perfect protégé, my adorable little spiderling; hypothetically speaking I could hire someone, but right now in this moment, I need you to switch them out or I won’t ever be able to hypothetically hire someone to do it later.” He said then added. “Also, your hands are small and dainty and would be really helpful right about now.” Tony told him and Peter’s annoyance with the older man was the only thing keeping him from blushing at the pet names and his worry for Tony was the only thing keeping Peter from punching him in the shoulder for the dainty hands comment.

“Alright, okay, tell me what to do.” Peter said, inhaling deeply as he tried to mentally prepare himself to do whatever it was Tony needed him to do.

“Awesome.” Tony exclaimed, heaving a rugged breath, they were wasting precious time talking and Peter just wanted to get this over with. “So, I’m going to need you to take this reactor out and you’re going to also reach inside and pull out the wires, gently, I should add, and while I’m half passed out you’re going to reattach the new reactor’s wires to the conductors in my sternum and then push the new reactor in. It’s like a push lock.” Tony explained, and Peter nodded along. It made sense, but it was still nerve-wracking as hell to think that he would be holding Tony’s life in his hands.

“Okay…should I just go for it or do you want me to count to three?” Peter asked.

“Now would be good, great even, I can already feel the shrapnel trying to sneak its way into my heart to kill me.” Tony told him, and Peter went to work.

Peter’s delicate hands gripped around the old reactor, he pushed it in, turned it to the left, and then pulled it out. Then with his quote: small and dainty hands, Peter reached into the hole in Tony’s chest to unhook the wires from the conductor in said chest hole.  

“You’re doing amazing sweetie, perfect hands for the job.” Tony said, voice quieter than before.

“Don’t make this weird Tony.” Peter muttered as he took the new reactor in his hands and carefully hooked the new wired into the conductor in Tony’s chest. Tony gasped from that and Peter snapped his head in his direction. Had he messed up? Did he accidentally kill Tony? He was too young to be made a technical-widower. What even was the terminology even for when someone’s dating someone and that someone dies?

“I might never get another chance to say this…” Tony began, voice trailing off as he lost consciousness. Peter froze for a second and found his own heart pounding loud in his chest. Tony was really hurting, and Peter was barely helping him with his shitty attempts of putting the reactor back. Peter shook his head and quickly pushed the new reactor back in, careful with the wires and praying he didn’t accidentally make himself a technical-widower.

Peter watched as Tony inhaled a deep breath, eyes fluttering open as well. He coughed and after he regained consciousness, Peter threw his arms around Tony’s neck, gently of course, and thanked the gods that Tony was okay.

“I’m so sorry if I hurt you while I was trying to help you…I’m useless when it comes to medical stuff.” He mumbled against Tony’s bare shoulder and Tony returned the hug, wrapping his strong arms around the teen’s waist.

“Peter.” Tony said weakly and Peter turned his full attention onto the older man, but stayed stationary in his arms, kind of enjoying the feeling of Tony’s naked chest against him. “You didn’t hurt me, not intentionally at least, it always hurts when I switch these things out, no matter who’s helping.” He explained in a soothing voice. “You did a good job sweetheart, I’m so proud.” He said sweetly, and Peter hummed into the embrace, giving them both a moment to recuperate.

“What were you going to say?” He began to ask. “Before you blacked out momentarily?” He asked Tony, pulling away from the embrace.

“Nothing.” Tony said quickly, obviously trying to stray away from answering Peter’s question.

“Please.” Peter huffed. “You were about to go on some death bed rant like the drama queen you are.” He snickered, and Tony rolled his eyes. Peter crossed his arms expectantly and Tony sighed in defeat. Peter always did have a way to get Tony to do things for him.

“I was going to tell you that I love you, but the moment’s ruined now.” Tony stated.

“Why would you choose your death bed of all places to confess your love to me!” Peter cried as he playfully smacked Tony on the shoulder a few times. Tony laughed and caught Peter’s wrist mid-smack and pulled the teen closer. Peter frowned but gave Tony an expectant look.

“You said it yourself sweetheart, I’m a drama queen.” He said, pulling Peter closer and kissing him quickly on the lips. Peter pouted as Tony pulled away and then dragged him in for another kiss, this one longer and with much more tongue.

“I love you too dork.” Peter told him as they ended the second kiss and Tony’s eyes lit up.

“Yay.” He cheered and kissed Peter once more.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed! Thanks for reading!  
> Titles still unoriginal as hell.


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